Mycobacteria Flashcards
important human pathogens of Mycobacteria
○ Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC)
○ Nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM)
○ Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAI)
What are mycobacteria considered?
○ BSL 3
○ recommended .to reduce the risk of inhalation through aerosolization
Describe Mycobacterium
○ Slender, slow growing bacilli
○ Obligate aerobes
○ Cell division occurs by branching
How do you enhance growth of Mycobacterium?
Growth enhanced with CO2 (10%)
What is in the cell wall of Mycobacterium?
○ ~60% of the cell wall is comprised of lipids and lipid containing structures
○ Mycolic acid and Cord factor
Mycolic acid
○ strong hydrophobic molecules that form a lipid shell around the organism
○ affect permeability properties at the cell surface
What is Mycolic acid an important virulence factor for?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Cord Factor
○ responsible for the serpentine cording
○ toxic to mammalian cells
○ an inhibitor of PMN migration
Where is cord factor main made?
virulent strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
What do the high concentration of lips contribute to Mycobacterium tuberculosis?
○ Resistance to many antibiotics
○ Resistance to killing by acidic and alkaline compounds
○ Resistance to osmotic lysis
○ Resistance to lethal oxidations and survival inside of macrophages
○ Impermeability to stains and dyes
Acid-fast bacilli (AFB)
Mycobacteria that are difficult to decolorize when using as acid alcohol
What are the 3 staining methods for mycobacteria?
○ Ziehl-Neelsen technique
○ Kinyoun Technique
○ Fluorochrome Stain
Ziehl-Neelsen technique
○ smear is fixed and stained with hot carbol-fuchsin
○ decolorized with acid-alcohol
○ counterstained with methylene-blue
○ Acid fast bacilli appear pink in a contrasting background
○ Also this is no longer used
Kinyoun Technique
○ Similar to Ziehl-Neelsen technique but uses detergents to drive the dye into the cell wall instead of heat
○ Similar in appearance (pink contrast to background)
Fluorochrome Stain
○ uses auramine O as a primary stain
○ rhodamine as the counter stain
Fluorochrome stain fact
○ stains are more sensitive
○ more labor intensive and must be read using a fluorescent microscope
mycobacteria collection?
○ Sputums
○ Bronchial washes
○ Transtracheal aspirates
When do you collect mycobacteria samples? How many?
○ 3 samples
○ early morning preferred
○ for 3 consecutive days
What if a sample collection of sputum isn’t available? Like in children
Gastric lavage, early in the morning
What is done to urine samples of mycobacteria?
Centrifuged to concentrate
What fluids are collected for mycobacteria?
○ CSF
○ synovial fluid
○ pericardial fluid
○ peritoneal fluid
For blood samples, what is used to release the bacteria from red/white blood cells?
Lysing agents (saponin)
What is needed for mycobacteria processing of respiratory samples?
Decontamination and digestion
What is used for decontamination? What does it do?
○ NaOH or benzalkonium chloride
○ Kills normal respiratory flora or pathogens
○ reduces contaminants
How does NaOH work?
increases pH to a level that is antibacterial
What is used for digestion? What does it do?
○ N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NALC)
○ Liquefies mucus in a respiratory sample which may trap mycobacteria